SUMMARY: Though other products may claim to eliminate bad breath-causing bacteria, K12 Probiotics are the real deal.

Posted: December 16, 2011

Are you looking for a gentle, all-natural way to eliminate bad breath and improve your oral health? Well, look no further than K12 Probiotics, which studies have shown can eliminate the bacteria that cause halitosis.

You may be familiar with the word "probiotics" without actually having a solid idea of what it is they do. Maybe you've heard the term used in a toothpaste commercial or an advertisement for yogurt? These are both products that can be supplemented with probiotics, it's true. However, the most effective treatments in this class of oral care items are K12 Probiotics. Here's how they work.

Your tongue, cheeks and gums are home to billions of bacteria. These little critters are quite numerous. One square inch of tongue shelters more microbes than there are people living in India.

Many of these microorganisms are harmless, but a few particularly nasty strains contribute to tooth decay, gum disease periodontitis and bad breath. The problem with such oral bacteria is that typical toothpastes and mouthwashes do almost nothing to eliminate them. Even if you floss and use an irritating, alcohol-based mouthwash, the population of bad bacteria in your mouth isn't likely to decrease by much.

Here's where K12 Probiotics can come into play. Such products contain one special species of microbe, named Streptococcus salivarius K12. (Don't worry, it's not the strain that causes strep throat.) This little creature is a modern marvel.

Studies have shown that this bacteria can eliminate its competitors in your mouth, a process that leads to fresher breath. It does so by releasing a compound called bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance (BLIS), which is a protein that kills harmful bacteria. Thus, over time, K12 Probiotics can change the ecosystem in your mouth, neutralizing the species that make your breath funky.

So, in much the same way that farmers plant opportunistic crops to crowd out weeds, individuals with halitosis can use K12 Probiotics to muscle out bad breath.

The beauty of this specialty breath freshening product is that it is perfectly safe. A study published in the journal Applied Environmental Microbiology found that S. salivarius K12 was quite safe in human mouths and led to no appreciable side effects.

Not bad for one little strain of microorganism!

If you'd like to start turning your bad breath around now, consider looking into all-natural solutions to halitosis that pit microbe against microbe and leave you free to relax.